Time stamp



g 16, 1932- R. H. THOMPSON ET AL 1,372,049

TIME STAMP Filed Oct. 11, 1929 2 Shets-Sheec 1 IW/veWi/ ors floiaevil-Thomprsozw, Lewis aravea,

2'3 7/ i fi s Aug. 16, 1932. R. H. THOMPSON ET AL TIME STAMP Filed Oct.11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IW venifons;

ROZeriHTMWwpsotz jilewi's Graves,

Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES EoB R'r 1. THOMPSON AND LEWISeEevEs' on NEW 03K; N. Y.; sAIn GRA sIeNo T sAIn rnomrson PATENT OFFICE?vEs ASQ I TIME STAMP This invention relates to time stamps andparticularly to stamps of that type in which the time is printeddirectly in letters and figures as contrasted with those with a dial,

and the object is to provide a construction of stamp of this characterwhich will be simple, cheap, accurate and durable. In particular weprovide a mechanism for shifting or turning the type wheels which may beoperated from a chronometric device but with little expenditure of,powerv and which is therefore adaptable for use with ordinaryspringdriven clock movements although obviously not so limited. I

Our invention will be well understood by. reference to the followingdescription taken in connection with'the accompanying drawings, wherein:l l

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a time stamp.

20' embodying the invention. broken away to disclose the interior;

Fig.2 is an enlarged-sectionon the line 22ofFig.l;' Y

Figs. 3 and 41 are sections on the lines 33 26 and 44 of Fig. 2respectively; and

Fig. .5 shows an imprint of the typewheels during the last minute of anhourly period.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings,in the embodiment of the inventionhere shown, a clock movement '1 of the ordinary spring driven type andthe assembly. 9 embodying the type wheelsand their controlling mechanismare mountedon asuitable base 11 enclosed by a casing 3 at thefrontofwhich may be the bezel 15 enclosing and rendering visible a clock'dialof the usual type. 1 Suitable means, not shown, are provided forsupporting an inking ribbon 17 extending over the type wheels andpermitting an impression T of the latter to be taken through a suitableopening in the top of the casing 8 by means of the platen 19'depressed-by hand against the force of spring 21. The subiect matter ofour invention relates more particularly to 7 means for controlling themovement of the type wheels and the other parts may be of any known orsuitable construction unnecessary hereinto disclose inldetail. a

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2,.the type wheels 60 are herein" shown asdisposed in vertical planes and journalled on a, shaft 23 extendingbetween frames25spacedby suitable pillars. The wheelsshown in theillustrative example disclosed are marked in Figs. 1 and2 withdescriptive designations and it is unnec ssary to refer to them byreference numerals. In the embodimentof the invention, shown the monthand year wheels are adapted to be turned by hand and the other'wheelstake their movement from acounter-shaft 27 j ournalled inthe frame 25which rotates once an hour, herein being shown as mounted in alignmentwith and connected by means of a suitable coupling 29 to thehour shaft31 of theclock. movement 1, v I

The minute wheel (see Fig. 2) maycarry on its hub a gear 33 adapted; tomesh. with a similar gear 35 pinned to a shaft 27 so that the minutewheel is rotated in direct synchronism with said shaft; This minutewheel, as will be well understood, has sixty faces; The hour wheel andthe AM-PM wheel are herein disposed as shown on oppositeisides of theminute wheel to provide the reading- 6233 PM, for example, the minutewheel turning on the spool-like connecting hub 37 between the two wheelsThe hour and AMPM wheels have twenty-four faces corresponding to thetwenty-four hoursof the day and are intermittently driven in five;to'two ratio by gear 39 fixed on their hub from a gearil which islooselyjournalled on shaft 27 buthas a slipping clutch connectionthereto and tends to turn therewith. Herein the hub of gear 41 is shownas interposed between the hub of gear 35 (a steel washer 43 beinginterposed) and a friction washer 45 pressed thereagainst by spring 47which finds a-bearing on the disc 49 pinned to shaft 27.

The driving gear 41 is normally held against rotation and slips on shaft27, but at intervals of an hour, conveniently during the last minute ofeach hour, it is released to turn with the shaft and to drive for onetwenty-fourth of'a revolution the type wheels on which driven gear 39 ismounted; For this purposewe have herein provided a pinion shaft 51,which may take the form of apiece of-siX-tooth pinion wire, vjo'urnalledin the plates 25 and meshing (see Figui) with gear 100 41. In the planeof the disc 49 (see Fig. 3) alternate teeth of the pinion are cut awayand the periphery of said disc engages the sides of remaining teeth andform a lock holding the pinion shaft from rotation and thus locking gear41 against movement with shaft 27. The disc 49 is herein also utilizedto provide an intermittent gear and on one side thereof is secured twoteeth 53 corresponding in form and size to two teeth of the gear 41 andthe periphery of the disc 49 is cut away between these teeth. Disc 49rotates once an hour and during the vmajor portion of such period,herein fifty-nine minutes, the pinion 51 will be locked. During theother sixtieth of the revolution the teeth 53 will engage the teeth ofthe pinion and turn or permit the same to turn through a space of twoteeth, thereby releasing gear 41 to the driving force of shaft 27exerted thereon through the spring clutch drive and permitting italso-to turn through a space of two teeth,-that is, in the example shownthrough one-sixtieth of a revolution, and this movement is transmittedin two to five ratio to gear 39 and the hour and AM-PM wheels arerotated through one twenty-fourth of a revolution during this period ofa minute. Thus, referring to-Fig.

5, during the last minute of the afternoon not only is the minute wheelmoving from 59 to 0 but the hour wheel is gradually moving likewise from11 to 12.

- In the embodiment of the invention shown the hour driving gear 41 isalso utilized as an element of a train driving the day wheel. For-thispurpose (see Fig. 4) it may mesh with'a gear 55 on a sleeve shaft 57,the gear ratio being such that the shaft 57 will rotate once everytwenty-four hours, intermittently by steps effected every hour as thegear 41 is released to the action of the main driving shaft '27 in themanner already described. Sleeve shaft 57 carries a suitable tappet 59(see Fig. 3) adapted to cooperate with the pins 61 projecting from aside of the day wheel in the manner of a pin gear, thirtyone-of thesepins being provided corresponding to the maximum number of days in amonth. The ratio between the length of tappet arm 59 and the radius tothe center line of the pin 61 is such that the incremental movement ofgear 55 when saidtappet is engaged with. the pins will suffice to throwthe day wheel one thirty-first of its circumference, or from one day tothe next. This movement is, of course, effected during the last minute.of the twelve hour period, preferably just before midnight as shown inFig. 5. It will be noted that except during this interval of a minutethe tappet 59 is out of engagement with the pins on the day wheel andexcept during this minute the day wheel train 69 (Fig. 1), like, thatvordinarily used. for the hourand minute hands of a' watch or clock, maydrive hands from shaft 23 to cooperate with a clock dial visible throughthe glazing 0f bezel 15.

It will be noted that the arrangement of parts is such that the shaft 23may be directly coupled to the hour shaft of the clock and all the partsmay be turned back or forward indefinitely by the ordinary set shaft ofthe clock movement without injury and without destroying thecoordination of the parts. Once the parts are properly coupled so thatthe reading of the hands and the printing of the type wheels agree, theentire assembly may be set forward or back at will any number of days,hours or minutes in the customary'manner in which an ordinary clock isset. The construction shown permits organizing the clock face with theprinting mechanism in aconvenient manner, gives a strong support for thetype wheels of the clock movement, and the jar of the stamping operationis not transmitted to the type wheel actuating mechanism or to the clockmovement in such a way as to be harmful to the same. The type wheels maybe organized in close relation with only narrow spur gearing betweenthem and with the hour and AM-PM wheels on opposite sides of the minutewheel as shown if an impression reading in this manner is desired. 1 V jr We are aware that the invention may be embodied in other specificforms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof,and we therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference be ing had tothe appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicatethe scope of the invention.

Claims i 1. In a time stamp, in combination, a set of type wheels forprinting minutes and multiples thereof, a shaft on which said wheelsturn, a parallel shaft, a clock movement in driving relation thereto, agear drive between said parallel shaft and the minute wheel, a drivegear rotatably mounted on said parallel shaft and gearingto a multipletype wheel, and transfer mechanism comprising a mutilated gear trainfrom said parallel shaft controlling intermittent rotation of the saiddrive gear. I

2. In a time stamp, in combination, a chronometrically driven shaft, atype wheel for a time unit driven therefrom, atype wheel for a multipleunit, a drive gear therefor loose on said shaft, yielding means tendingto turn said gear with the shaft, a mutilated pinion serving to lock thegear, anda train from said shaft to control intermittent turning of thepinion to release said gear to move with said shaft.

3. In a time stamp, in combination, a pair of frames, a rod extendingbetween type wheels for units and multiples of time turning on said rod,a parallel shaft journaled in said frames for rotation by a chronometricmovement, a gear drive between said shaft and a unit type wheel, a drivegear on said shaft having yielding frictional connection thereto and agear on a multiple unit type wheel meshing therewith, a pinion rodjournaled in said frames and meshing with said gear, teeth of said rodbeing cut away at a point in its length to provide substantially arcuatelocking surfaces, and locking disc and mutilated gear mechanism fast onsaid shaft cooperating with said rod.

4. In a time stamp a shaft having a chronometric drive and means formanually moving it forward and back, a type wheel for a time unitconnected to said shaft to turn proportionately thereto, a type wheelfor a multiple unit, means for turning the same including a spur gearnormally tending to turn with the shaft, a detent pinion meshingtherewith, and a mutilated gear train from the shaft controlling turningof the pinion.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

ROBT'. I-I. THOMPSON. LEWIS GRAVES.

